All That I'll Ever Need
by towalkinyourlight
Summary: Everyone at the restaurant confuses them for a couple, and when Bellamy forgets his wallet, he takes advantage of the mistake.


Prompt: Everyone at the restaurant confuses them for a couple, and when Bellamy forgets his wallet, he takes advantage of the mistake.

"What did Octavia say?" Clarke questioned Bellamy as soon as he slid back onto the crowded bench next to her. The waiting area of the restaurant was crowded, far more so than they'd expected, and the two of them were squished together on bench in the corner, waiting for their reservation to be called.

"I'm sorry, Clarke, she's picking Lincoln up from the airport and won't be back until late, or else she would come." He said exasperatedly, sliding his phone into his pocket. "She said congratulations, though, and that she'll take you out for drinks sometime next week."

"I forgot he was flying back in today." Clarke sighed, her heart dropping a little bit in spite of herself. "Raven texted while you were on the phone, there was an emergency with one of her projects and she's out working for the evening. Maybe we should just cancel dinner." She concluded, leaning her head back against the wall. Bellamy shook his head, putting a hand on her knee. Clarke's skin tingled from the contact, something she elected to ignore.

"Absolutely not, Clarke." He said, looking determinedly at her. "We always go out to dinner when you sell a painting, and this was a big one. We're not canceling."

"No one can make it, though." She replied, folding her arms across her chest. Clarke wasn't usually into self-pity- most often, she was just grateful she had friends who were invested enough in her life that they wanted to celebrate with her when one of her paintings sold. However, this was one of the biggest sales she'd ever made, to a client whose name might actually get her somewhere, and she'd really hoped all three of her best friends could be with her.

"So I'm no one now?" Bellamy pouted mockingly, imitating her and crossing his arms huffily over his chest. Clarke rolled her eyes and chuckled lightly.

"I have always said the Octavia is the better Blake." She smirked.

"Octavia isn't the Blake that's dressed in a monkey suit and taking you out to a very fancy, very expensive dinner." He replied defiantly.

"But Octavia was the one who started the tradition." She replied, with an air of mocking superiority. He rolled his eyes, but sent a grin in her direction.

"Whatever, Clarke, you know I'm your favorite. Now stay right there, I'm going to go change our reservation from four people to two." He strode away, tall frame slipping lithely through the crowd of people.

Clarke couldn't help but watch in amusement as he approached the hostess. Even from a distance, she could tell he was turning on the charm, judging from the smitten look in the young girl's eyes. Clarke had no idea what he was saying, but the girl was nodding vaguely as she ran her eyes up and down his suit-clad form. Clarke couldn't exactly blame her, Bellamy looked good in his suit. She knew he'd always been self-conscious about the way he looked- something that stemmed all the way back to being bullied as a child- and keeping his physique in top shape helped him with it. He'd even convinced Clarke to go running with him a few times, and though she hated running with a fiery passion, she did enjoy the chance to admire him working out. Her artist's eye loved watching the graceful way his muscles moved under his skin with every stride. Even now, though he was fully covered in his suit, Clarke could still admire the way his jacket stretched over his broad shoulders, the fabric pulling at his shoulder blades and his biceps-

Clarke was jostled from her thoughts when the person next to her nudged her arm gently. Shaking her head, she turned to see a middle-aged couple watching her in amusement.

"Sorry ma'am, that man up there was trying to get your attention." The man said, gesturing towards Bellamy at the hostess both. He had turned slightly to look at her, his eyes sparkling with amusement and a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, thank you." She told the couple graciously, ducking her head and letting her hair fall forward in an attempt to hide the blush rising to her cheeks. Bellamy must've thought she was too distracted checking him out to notice him trying to get her attention, which was obviously the wrong assumption. She was just thinking, and had zoned out. That was all.

"Not a word." She hissed to him as she reached him. He held up his hands in a surrendering gesture, but the mischievous smile on his face told her the subject was going to be revisited later.

"Follow me, please." The hostess said cheerily, giving them a curious look, then leading them into the depths of the restaurant.

"You flirted your way into an earlier reservation?" Clarke said lowly, leaning into Bellamy's side so he could hear her over all the surrounding conversations.

"Of course not, there was a two-person reservation that opened up, and we were pretty much the top of the wait list, so she gave it to us. Do you really think so low of me?" He asked in mock offense. Clarke just raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"Fine, my charm and good looks might have helped sway her opinion that she should give us the reservation." He conceded, and Clarke rolled her eyes.

"Although, it appears that she wasn't the only one they had an effect on-" He said lowly in her ear, his breath whispering across her skin, but he was quickly cut off when Clarke threw an elbow in his side. Chuckling, he just put a hand on her lower back as they navigated their way through a particularly tight seating arrangement to where the hostess was waiting by their table. They quickly sat down, gratefully accepting the menus from their hostess. The girl hesitated for a moment, eyeing them both carefully, then quickly spoke.

"I just wanted to say that you two are an adorable couple." She squeaked out rapidly. Bellamy and Clarke looked at each other on surprise, then turned back to her.

"No, we're not-" Clarke started to say, but the girl had already scurried off. She turned back to Bellamy, who was trying to hide a wide grin behind his menu.

"We don't look like a couple, do we?" She questioned. Bellamy rolled his eyes, continuing to scan the menu.

"You mean aside from the fact that we're sitting by ourselves in a fancy, expensive restaurant with really romantic lighting and music, in our really nice clothes, and you were very blatantly checking me out earlier?" Clarke kicked his leg under the table. "No, of course we don't look like a couple."

"Well, this is just great." She let out an exasperated sigh and picked up her menu.

"C'mon, is it really that bad for people to think we're on a date?" He questioned, grinning cheekily, though Clarke though she saw hurt momentarily flash over his eyes. Contemplating his words for a moment, she sent him a small smile.

"Well, I suppose there's worse things." She relented, turning her eyes back to the menu. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Bellamy's grin widen. She'd almost made a decision on what she wanted to order when another couple being led to their table caught her gaze.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Clarke moaned, putting her head in her hands. Bellamy's head shot up, looking at her in concern.

"What's wrong?" He questioned, brows furrowed in confusion. Clarke just shook her head, keeping her mouth firmly closed as a waiter approached to take their order. Bellamy turned his attention to the man, but kept shooting worried glances at her. When it was Clarke's turn, she hurriedly muttered out her order, reluctantly handing the waiter her menu when he reached for it. As soon as his figure had retreated a few tables away, Bellamy's attention was all back on her.

"What was that about?" He questioned, leaning in closer across the table and lowering his voice.

"Guess who just walked into the restaurant?" Clarke sighed, looking everywhere except the corner booth on the far wall.

"Um, judging from your look of pure disdain, Donald Trump?" He guessed.

"No, Finn Collins, my ex." She grumbled, trying to stifle the anger that was beginning to boil in her veins.

"The one that cheated on you and Raven? Finn the Douchebag?" Clarke nodded. "Where's he sitting?" He added.

"In the corner booth, by the fireplace." She told him, looking pointedly in the other direction, suddenly very interested in the tablecloth on the neighboring table. Bellamy twisted slightly in his chair, scanning the other patrons until he found the accused.

"He's the one that looked away really quickly when I caught him scowling at us, right?" Bellamy said sarcastically, though Clarke could hear anger behind his voice. The subject of Finn was strictly off-limits among their friends, but Clarke knew that she and Raven's mutual ex-boyfriend had always ruffled his feathers. She distinctly remembered him muttering something about 'the idiotic asshole who'd break two talented, intelligent, sexy, dangerous women's hearts' the night she'd drunken herself into a stupor over their break-up and Bellamy had come over to make sure she didn't get alcohol poisoning.

"Do you want me to go beat him up for you?" He asked, turning back to face her. Clarke risked a glance at Finn, who was looking everywhere else around the room.

"No, if anyone was gonna beat him up, it would definitely be me." She said rapidly, swallowing down the quickly rising anger, while Bellamy nodded in agreement. "Besides this is a nice place, I don't want to get kicked out." Letting out a moan, she rubbed a hand against her temples, trying to ward off her stress.

"I should've know this day was too good to be true; first Octavia and Raven can't make it, now Finn's here-" She grumbled, but suddenly Bellamy's hand had slipped into hers, and he was rubbing a gentle thumb over her hand. The fire in her get quickly burned out, only to be replaced by a fluttery feeling she wasn't quite prepared for.

"Clarke, none of that has anything to do with you. You did an amazing job with your painting, and it's going to be featured in a private art collector's gallery in New York. You deserve this evening, and we're going to enjoy our nice dinner, okay?" Bellamy said with conviction, a soft look in his eyes. Clarke nodded, a fond smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Finn shoot a glare in their direction, then turn his attention away from them.

"I guess it does help that you holding my hand is making Finn jealous." She smiled, not caring that it was petty.

"Oh, really?" Bellamy chuckled, raising his eyebrows in amusement. Very gently, he brought her hand up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. Clarke's heart skipped a beat, and the world seemed to momentarily stop around her as she caught her breath. "Good. Let him be jealous." Clarke could only manage a smile, her heart racing too fast for her to form any coherent words, but luckily their waiter arrived with their appetizers and she was spared from speaking.

Bellamy spent most of their meal trying his hardest to keep her mind off her frustrations, and, to his credit, he did a pretty good job. They spoke a lot about his job; being a high school history teacher came with more than its fair share of amusing stories, and he seemed to know exactly which ones to tell to make her smile. She told him about her deal with the art collector, and what opportunities that could bring her. They talked about Octavia and Lincoln's upcoming wedding, Raven's new government contract job, Monty and Jasper's new bartending gig, even Wells' internship in DC. The conversation flowed easily between them, full of life and the bickering that only meant they were enjoying each other's company. However, for as much as they talked, it did nothing to take Clarke's mind off the fluttery feeling she got in her stomach whenever Bellamy sent a smile in her direction, or the electrical tingle that ran up her spine when their knees brushed under the table. She'd be lying to herself if she said she'd never been attracted to Bellamy; he looked like a Roman god, so she couldn't imagine anyone not being attracted to him, but this was different. She'd felt her feelings about him beginning to change for months now, but she'd just brushed it off as residual loneliness from her rather tough break-up with Lexa. However, it was getting harder and harder to deny what was going on when it felt like her breath was being sucked out of her lungs whenever his musical laugh rang through the air of the crowded restaurant. It was confusing and stressful, and it made it increasingly harder to spend time with Bellamy without just reaching across the table and pulling his mouth to hers-

"Alright, here's your desserts." The waiter suddenly spoke next to her, jolting her out of her thoughts once more. She tried to will away the blush in her cheeks, but given the odd look Bellamy was giving her as the waiter replaced their empty meal dishes with their desserts, it wasn't exactly working.

"Thank you." Clarke told the waiter, and he nodded in acknowledgement. "Oh, wait, we were going to ask you, we heard some cheering from the other side of the restaurant earlier, what was that all about, if you don't mind me asking?" She questioned him before he could walk away. In the middle of their meal, they'd heard excited cheers from the other side of the building, but several walls were blocking their view, and they had no idea what had happened.

"Oh, there was a couple that got engaged." He elaborated. "And our chef's really big on romantic stuff, so he always comes out to watch and makes everybody clap and gives the couple their food on the house, that kind of stuff. Sorry if it disturbed your evening."

"Oh, no, we were just curious." Bellamy assured him, shaking his head.

"Alright, I'll just leave your bill here, and be sure to let me know if you need anything else." The waiter said before ducking away once more. Clarke turned her attention to her dessert, scooping a bite onto her fork.

"Well, that's kind of cool, about the couple." Clarke said absentmindedly, relishing in how good her cake was. Bellamy didn't respond, and after a few moments, she looked up at him, only to find him patting around all his pockets with growing concern.

"Bellamy?" She questioned, her brow furrowing. He met her gaze with wide eyes.

"Clarke, I think I forgot my wallet." He whispered, an embarrassed blush creeping into his face. "Would you be okay to pay, and then I can just pay you back?" Clarke's eyes were slowly widening to match his, and she felt her face pale slightly.

"I don't have my wallet either, Raven was supposed to pick it up from our apartment and bring it when she got here." She breathed. Bellamy's face flashed with distress and embarrassment as he continued to pat his pockets in a futile attempt to find what he already knew wasn't there. "Can Miller grab yours and bring it?" She questioned, wondering if Bellamy's roommate would be able to help them.

"No, he's working tonight." He shook his head. They were both quiet for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. Suddenly, Bellamy's head shot straight up, and he looked at her with wide eyes.

"Didn't the waiter say that if couples got engaged, they got their food for free?" He questioned, and it took her a moment to process what he was suggesting. Her heart jumped to her throat, and she managed a small shake of her head.

"Absolutely not." Clarke hissed, shaking her head adamantly at Bellamy's implication. Given how completely flustered he was making her feel tonight, there was no way she was going along with it.

"C'mon, Clarke, it's kind of our only option here, because we are not dining and dashing." He insisted, and Clarke sighed in irritation.

"I know that, it's just… you really sure you can fake a proposal?" She questioned, electing to ignore the slight shake in her voice.

"Trust me, I think I can figure out how to be in love with you long enough to propose to you." He chuckled, sending her a smirk, and her mouth was suddenly dry. "Quick, give me your ring." He commanded, gesturing to her hand.

"Bellamy…" She growled, looking incredulously at him.

"Clarke." He replied firmly, shooting her a pair of puppy dog eyes that he very well knew she could never resist. Furrowing her brow in frustration, she slipped her ring off and placed it in his outstretched palm.

"You ready for this?" He grinned widely, though Clarke caught a flash of nervousness in his eyes.

"No." She deadpanned, but he just laughed.

Standing up, he slowly worked his way around the table to her side, grinning as he watched her try to hide her discomfort. Taking what felt like an eternity, he slowly slipped down on to one knee in front of her. Clarke closed her eyes when a group of college girls the next table over let out excited gasps, trying to steel her nerves. Glancing anxiously around the room, she noticed several peoples' heads turning her direction, including Finn's, which bore an incredibly sour expression that she thoroughly enjoyed.

"Clarke." Bellamy said softly, slipping his hands into hers. Turning back to look at him, the world seemed to fade away as she took in the tender look in his eyes, the absolute adoration that beamed from his expression. It suddenly felt like all the air was being sucked out of the room, but she couldn't bring herself to tear away their eye contact. Clearing his throat, he started into his speech.

"Clarke Griffin… where do I even start?" He laughed softly, shaking his head. She couldn't tear her gaze away, watching his every move earnestly. "All those years ago, when Octavia started college and told me she'd found a couple of girls she was going to move in with, I was, of course, a little hurt she didn't want to live with her big brother anymore, but I was more terrified about her living on her own, with people she barely knew. That anxiety didn't go away, not until she dragged her new, pre-med roommate to one of my parties, this gorgeous blonde princess who drunkenly argued with me for three hours about the effect Ancient Roman art culture has on modern society." They both laughed at the story, a fond memory for both of them, and barely noticed that their small spectacle had drawn most of the neighboring tables' attention. "I knew that O had found people who'd grow to love her just as much as I did, and that was all I needed. Little did I know that I'd find my wife in the whole ordeal." He smiled, a goofy, lopsided grin that radiated pure adoration, and Clarke's heart stopped in her chest.

"Clarke, I fell in love with you a long time ago, somewhere in between you walking through my front door and your slurred speech on how sculpting developed in ancient Rome heavily influenced the modern art scene. I fell in love with you in all the little moments that followed, like when you saved a spot next to you just for me during movie nights so we could make fun of the actors together, or when I was trying to get my Master's and you stayed up with me til four every night for two weeks to help me study, or that time when O was in the hospital and you brought me coffee every morning, instead of trying to make me go home like everyone did. You've had my heart for so long, it's hard for me to even remember what it was like without you." Bellamy's voice was soft and intimate, but his words roared like thunder in her ears. She knew that Bellamy had done some acting in high school, but this was on a completely different level. With every word he spoke, she was falling for him more and more, to the point where she felt tears prick at the corner of her eyes.

"I want to spend every day with you, for the rest of my life. I want you to be the last thing I see when I fall asleep every night, and I want to wake up to you every morning. I want to travel the world and see everything and experience everything with you. I want to, to get old and fat together, to raise a few kids and buy a house and a minivan and join the PTA. I want to be there for you the rest of your life, for every painting you sell and every one you don't, for every bump and bruise and heartbreak. Because when it comes down to it, Princess, you're all that I've ever needed, and you're all that I'll ever need." Tears were slipping down Clarke's cheeks, but she was beyond caring at this point. She knew this was all an act, but she was eating up every single word. "So, Clarke Griffin, will you please make me the happiest man in the world, and marry me?" He questioned, voice shaking slightly, and unclasped one hand from hers to hold up the ring. He was smiling softly, expectantly, his eyes shining and full of the deepest love she'd ever seen. The world seemed to hold its breath around her, still and quiet, waiting for her answer. Overcome with emotion, she smiled widely and nodded adamantly.

The bubble of their moment shattered as the restaurant broke into cheers and applause. A grin broke across Bellamy's face, and he pulled her into his arms, holding her like he never wanted to let go. She returned the favor, clinging to his neck, as a distinctly Italian voice somewhere to her left made some comment about two proposals in one night. Caught up in the emotion, Bellamy placed a gentle hand on the back of her head and brought his mouth to hers. His lips were soft and warm, the kiss gentle and chaste, but she'd never wanted to be alone with anyone more in her entire life.

However, the moment was quickly over, and Bellamy helped a stunned Clarke to her feet. Quickly gathering their things, Bellamy graciously accepted their free meal from the enthusiastic chef and ushered her out of the restaurant while Clarke remained silent, the grin slowly slipping off her face. The closer they meandered to Bellamy's car, the more the magic wore off, and the worse she felt. All those things he'd said, they were so raw and emotional, and she was so easily manipulated by them. It terrified her, and by the time they'd reached their spot in the parking garage, she was fuming with some quiet kind of fury.

"Clarke, are you okay?" Bellamy finally questioned when she stood motionless by the car after he'd unlocked it. His demeanor was completely different from that in the restaurant; this Bellamy was sending nervous glances in her direction and fidgeting anxiously with his keys. Very slowly, Clarke shook her head, and Bellamy held up his hands in apology.

"Listen, Clarke, I know that was very spontaneous, and I know you hate public attention, but it was the only real option we had, so please don't be mad at me-" He tried to explain in a rush, but Clarke cut him off, her breaths heavy with emotion.

"Did you mean any of what you said?" She said rapidly, her voice shaky and raw. Cursing herself for being so emotional, she cleared her throat as he stared at her in confusion.

"What?" He questioned, caught off guard by her words.

"Your speech in there. Did you mean any of that?" She repeated, not taking her eyes off of him. He stood there, a few feet from her, neither of them speaking. Clarke watched as his mouth opened and closed with unspoken words, watched as a war of emotions raged behind his eyes. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence, he spoke up.

"Yes." He said, his voice barely over a whisper. Clarke's heart broke all over again at the vulnerability in his eyes. "And maybe some of it wouldn't happen now, or in a month, or a year, or ten, but yes, I meant every single word, Clarke."

"Even the part about being in love with me with since that stupid party in college?" She questioned forcefully, and he nodded, not taking his eyes off her waiting expectantly for her reaction. She'd never seen him so nervous or vulnerable, his usually suaveness gone, replaced with some kind of child-like desperation waiting to find out if he'd receive a reward or a reprimand.

"Well, why didn't you say something sooner?" She finally said, folding her arms in half-hearted exasperation across her chest. "We could've gotten this out of the way a long time ago, and already be together." She huffed. Slowly, Bellamy took in her words and his face broke into a grin, which was soon reflected by hers.

"Sorry, my timing inconveniences you, Princess." He laughed brightly, climbing into the driver's seat of his car. Clarke followed suit, chuckling as she shut the car door behind her.

"Hey Clarke?" Bellamy said as he started the car.

"Yes Bellamy?" She replied in a sing-song voice, turning to look at him fondly.

"Wanna go on a date sometime?" He asked, smiling happily at her. She grinned and slipped her hand into his.

"Yeah, I'd really like that." She answered, the warmth in her heart radiating through her veins, filling her with a kind of contentment she'd never felt before. When she looked at Bellamy as they drove out of the parking garage, she could tell he was feeling it too.

So, when Bellamy asked her to marry him again a year later, in the same restaurant, surrounded by their friends and family, her answer was still a resounding 'yes'.


End file.
